Coral
by TyrothDarkstorm
Summary: Sick with the near constant failures of the Venomous Five, doctor Arden wonders if there is more to it than simple stupidity, and thus plans to find out what secrets the reptilian mutants withholds from him in his own special way. Rated T for now, may go up later. Chapter 8 up!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone, and welcom back, this time to a little different story. This one will focus more on the villains of mine and Bloodrayne666's stories. **

**Let's see how this turns out.**

**Coral**

**Chapter 1**

**A Plan Takes Shape**

A storm had rolled in over New York, the lightning illuminating the dark night. In the dark tower of the Foot, the head scientist William Arden looked out through a window, observing the city. Another flash of lightning illuminated the room, the shadows cast on his scarred face making him look all the more terrifying.

It had been a few weeks since they had discovered the Freeman brothers, Jake and Callum, the younger brothers of Monalisa. Yet, despite their master killing one of the boys, no sign of their sister and the turtles had been found. The Venomous Five had tried to track them down, but ultimately failed to locate them, which brought to mind their many failures in the past.

"The Venomous Five… have failed again… they have failed me, and thus, I have failed master Shredder. Whatever I try, even after all the serums I've given them, they can not defeat the turtles and that lizard whore…"

His hand travelled to the scarred side, cradling it as he remembered how Monalisa threw acid on him.

"But… despite their failures, they are the only ones of my creations that are still alive. The Vampire Bats, Alucard, Akasha, Rayne and Claudia, they managed to capture two of the turtles, yet they escaped and killed the bats.

And then there was miss Jennifer, the dragon's sister, and the prototype for the others. She was able to hold her own against the dragon, even if she was only partially mutated, but then she was able to break through the imprinting and turn against us. At least she perished afterwards, without my treatments she would fall apart in a matter of days.

Though I am curious to why the dragon have not returned to avenge her yet. He has returned to New York several times over the years, and with the powers he possesses… I fear that we wouldn't stand much of a chance should he attack us. We barely survived our first encounter with him."

Arden shook his head to gather his thoughts, feeling that he had gone off track.

"What is it that sets the Venomous Five apart from my other creations? Why is it that they keep failing, yet survives? It can't be their numbers, as they have survived in smaller groups as well, and they are definitely dangerous, so it can't be that the freaks don't see them as a threat. So then what is it? What is it that makes failure equal survival in their case? What am I missing?"

Arden started pacing back and forth as he tried to figure out what could be the reason for the Venomous Five surviving despite their failures.

"What if… the problem isn't physical, but rather mental, something that my current serums can't affect… not necessary disabilities, but rather own will… maybe they aren't telling the full truth about their failures… but if that's the case, then that would mean that they are hiding something from me, their creator. They wouldn't do that, they are loyal to me, I made them so.

Wait, what if the memories of their old lives have started to resurface? They weren't exactly volunteers after all. That would explain a few things, and could prove very troublesome, the last thing we need are more freaks for enemies."

Arden stopped his pacing and thought long and hard.

"Too many questions remain unanswered, but how could I get the answers I seek in this matter? If the Venomous Five are not loyal any more they would still answer the same as if they were, were I to ask them. My truth-serum could give me what I want, but after the Dragon I'm not certain that it will be as effective as with humans, and I don't want to introduce said problem if it doesn't exist yet, even if it is within my rights."

His chain of thoughts was interrupted when he noticed a light being turned on in the corner of his eye. Looking at the source, he saw that it came from the partly open door to one of his laboratories, a place that he knew the lights were turned off when he left it.

Curious, he walked over to investigate, and looking through the doorway he saw the one responsible. A woman with long black hair, one of his medical ninja, taking notes of one of the displays in the lab, just as she was supposed to.

But it wasn't just any display, this one in particular was connected to a large glass tube that contained the body of another woman. That woman was none other than Izo Ren, Arashi's niece, and she had been kept inside the tube, in suspended animation, ever since she was recovered by other ninja after falling in a battle against a mutant viper almost a decade earlier, which left her with a broken neck and in a deep coma.

She had been an exceptionally skilled ninja, and had almost been able to infiltrate the turtles, but after failing in her mission she had basically been declared useless by her uncle. After that, Arden had used her as a living testing ground for various experiments, and her body showed signs of the many tests that she had been subjected to over the years.

"Ah, doctor. I wasn't aware that you were still here." the medical ninja said after noticing Arden standing in the doorway.

"I have a lot on my mind." Arden responded before walking over to the glass tube, placing one hand on it and looking at Ren inside.

"Understandable." the ninja said, looking back at the display and her notes. "While you're here, sir, I've got today's report on Ren's status."

"Let me guess: nothing new."

"That's correct, sir. Just as with the previous experiments, her body is trying to repair the changes as best it can, albeit at a very slow rate."

"While I welcome any chance to test my serums and the like, it feels like such a waste to use one as skilled and loyal as her, especially with how she was able to infiltrate the turtles."

As the words left his mouth, a sense of realisation struck Arden, and his mouth curled into a sinister smirk.

"Infiltrate. Of course!"

"Doctor?" the medical ninja asked, looking at her superior. "Sir?"

"That is how I will get my answers." he said to himself, then turning to the ninja, his wicked smirk never leaving his face. "And you will aid me."

"S-sir?" the female ninja asked, her voice trembling with fear.

"Oh, don't worry, this won't take long."

**Okay... where do I even begin with this? There are so many references in a single short chapter that it's crazy, most of which are from Bloodrayne666's fics and the rest are from mine.  
**

**First, the attack on Jake and Callum Freeman happened in 'Oh Sister Where Art Thou?'. Next, the Vampire Bats appeared in 'All Hallows Threat!'. Both stories belonging to Bloodrayne666.**

**After that, the 'dragon's sister' refers to the Dragon mutant Tyroth's sister Jennifer, and her fate in my story 'A Sister's Plight'.**

**Let's see here... the turth serum not working well on the Dragon is from 'A Dangerous Captive', again by Bloodrayne666.**

**And to finish it all off, Izo Ren is from my story 'Mikey's Date'.**

**Phew! I think that's all of them. Hope you've enjoyed this start.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Five Plus One**

Several hours had passed and dawn was not far away, but it had still been a sleepless night for doctor Arden, not that he minded when he was deeply consumed in his work.

A large pod stood in his lab, filled with a clear and illuminated liquid that bubbled violently, blocking its contents from outside view.

Arden himself stood by a computer, punching in more commands as he monitored the progress with a wide grin. Eventually, all systems finished and a green light was lit on the pod, and Arden's grin grew even wider.

"She's reborn… She's reborn!" he roared in glee. "My genius knows no bounds! Oh, how I have missed this thrill! To see the results of my genius! It was well worth the wait for the new sample."

The pod was drained and opened, revealing what Arden had been so excited about. A new, female snake mutant with green eyes and long black hair, and her scales were in several colours. Her head, tail, chest, stomach, hands and feet were bright red, while her back was a blue so dark it was almost black with white shining through between the scales, and broad lines of an intense blue ran on her sides from her shoulders and down, covering her arms and legs.

She coughed as her lungs cried out for much needed air, revealing her wider mouth and the pair of long fangs that it held.

"The Blue Coral Snake…" Arden mused as the mutant tried to get her bearings. "A 'killer of killers', specialises in hunting other venomous snakes, including the King Cobra. Possesses the largest venom glands of any snake, filled with cytotoxin that destroys muscle tissue, causes full body spasms and paralysis, a quick and horrifying death. A truly glorious creation!"

At that point, the reptile noticed her creator, her eyes locking on to him as she stumbled out of the pod.

"Welcome… Coral." Arden said with a grin.

"Coral… is that my name?" she asked, her eyes never leaving the doctor.

"That is correct. Now, tell me, whom do you serve?"

For a short moment, Coral didn't answer, she just stood there, still looking at Arden. Then, she knelt before him, lowering her head.

"I serve only you, my creator… my master."

"Excellent!" Arden said, extending a hand to Coral. "Now, rise, my dear. You have a very important job ahead of you."

"What do you ask of me, master?"

"You are to join my earlier creations, the Venomous Five, deadly reptilian mutants just like you. Learn from them and aid them on their missions. However, that is only what the rest of our organisation is to know, for you have another objective that no one else shall know about."

"And that is?"

"I am no longer certain that the Venomous Five can be trusted, that they are truly loyal to me. There are signs that could indicate it, but there is nothing conclusive. Thus, your true mission is to keep watch for signs of their possible lack of loyalty and report back to me, all in secret of course."

"I understand, master. I won't let you down."

"Good. However, know that this will take a long time. Getting a new member will put them on edge, so you will have to make them trust you over time, but during that time they might just get their act together, improving their performance."

"Understood."

"And never forget to whom your loyalty belongs, regardless of what the others do."

"My loyalty is to you, and you alone, master."

"Excellent. Now it's time for you to meet your 'team members'. Try to get along, but don't let them push you around."

* * *

A short while later, in the den that belonged to the Venomous Five, the mutants in question waiting for their next mission, spending their time as best they could.

Nile Monitor was training by striking a log with his sharp claws, each blow sending small chips of wood flying.

Cobra was sleeping in her room, drool and a small amount of venom was dripping out of her open mouth as she snored.

Gila was almost half asleep himself, sluggishly changing between channels on the TV.

Black Mamba sat in front of a mirror in her room, tending to her appearance with some grooming.

And Komodo Dragon sat quietly in a corner, thinking of how to best defeat their enemies in battle next time they met, smirking as he imagined himself victorious.

Suddenly, the door into their den was opened, and their creator, Arden, stepped inside.

"Attention!" he shouted, and the reptiles instantly stopped what they were doing and scrambled to their feet, even the previously sleeping Cobra, though she was still not fully awake as she lined up together with her fellow mutants. Trying to stifle a yawn, she received an elbow to her ribs from Mamba, to whom she hissed silently before focusing on her master.

"Master Arden. What is your command?" Komodo asked.

"Are we going out to search for the freaks again?" Gila asked with clear excitement.

"No, the sun will rise shortly, they will not risk staying on the surface once daylight breaks." Arden corrected. "But don't worry, you'll all get your chance soon. Until then, however, there is someone I'd like you all to meet."

With a snap of his fingers, he signalled for his newest creation to enter as well, and once the Venomous Five saw her, their eyes widened in shock.

"This is my latest creation, Coral, and she is to be your new team mate."

"Team mate?!" Cobra and Mamba exclaimed.

"Why would we need a new member?!" Nile asked.

"You five haven't really been pulling your own weight lately, or need I remind you of that Christmas a few years ago?"

The doctor's words cut deep and made the five mutants wince in response. They would never forget how they had been so badly outwitted, and by a child at that.

"Coral is to reinforce you, to give you a greater advantage in numbers. She is also a new breed of mutant, one that I have made several adjustments to, a test if you so will, and I want to see if she is up to the task. Treat her as one of your own. Those are my orders."

"As you command, master." Komodo said through clenched teeth.

Content that the mutants would do as told, at least for now, Arden left them, but the smirk on his face wouldn't leave him for quite a while. Now he had his insider among the Venomous Five, and if they ever did anything that would display a lack of loyalty, Coral would tell him.

* * *

Back in the den, the original mutants were less than thrilled with the new addition, and they weren't subtle about it either.

"I can't believe this!" said Gila. "We're gonna have to babysit this newbie?!"

"Tell me about it!" said Nile. "This will ruin our team balance! And 'Venomous Six' don't sound right either!"

"That's enough of you two!" Komodo snarled. "If our master demands this, we will do as he say. The last thing we want is to get on his bad side."

"But-"

"I said that's enough! We will talk more about this another time."

Meanwhile, Cobra and Mamba were inspecting the new female.

"Our master thinks this one will be able to help us? What a joke!" said Mamba. "Her colours will make her stand out like a sore thumb!"

"Maybe she's meant to be a distraction." Cobra chuckled. "An easy target for the freaks!"

Coral narrowed her eyes, and quick as a flash she lashed out and grabbed both snakes by their wrists, and with quick tugs and twists she soon had them both with their backs against her and their arms locked in a painful position.

"Let me make a few things clear for you two bitches." she snarled. "I'm a Blue Coral Snake, one of the deadliest snakes in the world, I specialise in hunting other venomous snakes, like yourselves, and there's no antidote for my venom. Remember that."

Releasing her grip on the duo's wrists, Coral shoved them both to the sides, causing Mamba to fall over while Cobra managed to keep her balance.

"You don't like me, and I don't like you…" Coral continued. "But our master has given us our orders, and I won't be the one to disobey my creator. But if any of you attack me, I will defend myself to the death."

As Coral walked away, Komodo watched her with a small smirk. Like the others, he wasn't too happy about the new member, but he couldn't deny that he liked her attitude, and perhaps she could help him keeping Cobra and Mamba in line eventually. Still, there was something about all this that felt off to him.

**And there you have it, Arden's newest mutant, Coral. I really like how that snake looks, so eye catching.**

**As is to be expected, the others of the Venomous Five aren't too thrilled about their new member, and they have all right not to.**

**Now for a quick reference: That Christmas that Arden mentioned is from fellow author Bloodrayne666's story 'Fairytale of New York'. Lovely story, check it out when you have the chance.  
Also, the Venomous Five and doctor Arden are her characters that I'm using with her permission.  
**

**Until next chapter, see you!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Joining the Group**

Coral was given a room of her own in the den of the Venomous Five, even if they weren't accepting of her. Like the others' rooms, her contained the basics, such as a bed, a chair, a heater, a mirror, and a footlocker for whatever tools and personal belongings she might have, of which she had none of the latter.

She knew that it would take time before the others would trust her enough to act as normal around her, but if Arden was right, and the five were not loyal to him any longer, then her presence would keep them on their toes for quite some time. Even if they actually were still loyal, they would only benefit from having someone that made them shape up, and Coral would be patient, she had her instructions and would follow them.

Sitting down in front of the mirror, she took a moment to observe herself, something that she hadn't had time to do before. Looking at her features, especially the more colourful ones, she felt as alien as she looked, there was no sense of recognition at all. That wasn't surprising, as she was less than a few hours old, but for some reason she expected to feel something.

Turning away from the mirror, she walked over to the footlocker and checked what it contained. It hadn't been long since a ninja had arrived with it, so she had yet to see what tools she had at her disposal.

Inside the locker were two tanto blades, a black belt with the Foot's symbol on the belt buckle, a black bodysuit for when the cold was too much for their reptilian bodies, several batches of shuriken and a personal cellphone.

Looking back at the mirror, and her reflection in it, she grabbed one tanto and walked back to the mirror. With the tanto firmly in hand, she brought it to the back of her neck, grabbing most of her long hair with her other hand and cutting it off. Spending a few more moments to even out the length of her now shorter hair, she was finally satisfied. Hair that had once reached past her shoulders, was now short and almost spiky in appearance.

Taking a final look in the mirror, Coral smiled a little at her new hairstyle, but as her eyes locked with those of her mirror image, something flashed in her mind, if only for an instant, but it was enough to give her pause.

But try as she might, she couldn't remember what it was, and it didn't happen again as she kept staring at her own eyes, so she decided to write it off as nothing important, she had other things to do anyway.

* * *

Meanwhile, out in the common area of the den, the Venomous Five were talking in hushed voices.

"I don't like this one bit, Komodo." said Gila. "That Coral is going to be nothing but trouble."

"Yeah!" Cobra agreed. "I don't know why master Arden would even make such a whore!"

"At least he's keeping it reptilian." said Nile. "If you ask me, he's still pissed that those ding-bats failed so miserably."

"Heh, that brings back some memories." Mamba smirked, remembering how the five had sabotaged the late Vampire Bats' efforts.

"Shut up, all of you!" Komodo snapped. "I don't trust this either, something is clearly going on, but for now, we will play along and see where it goes."

"You can't be serious! Are we going to have to babysit this rookie?! She's barely out of the pod!" Cobra objected.

"I have to agree with the spitter!" said Mamba. "She's gonna be nothing but dead weight!"

"Maybe, but if that's the case then it won't be our fault if we fail our missions, and maybe we can get rid of her that way. Whatever the case, we need to play our cards carefully for now, and with time, maybe we can bring her over to our side."

"And if not?" Gila asked.

"We could always use another scapegoat." Komodo said with a smirk, and the others shared it. "But for now, she'll have to be our unwanted reinforcement, and she might even be useful. Especially since you two seems to dislike her more than each other." Komodo finished, looking at Cobra and Mamba, both of which looking at each other with disgusted looks on their faces.

The two snakes were about to say something, but they both stopped when they heard the door to Coral's room open, and the newest mutant stepped out into the area, now sporting her shorter hair.

"Someone's rocking a new style." Nile commented.

"Got a problem with that?!" Coral snapped back.

"No, the other way in fact, it looks good on you."

"If you're looking for a mate, keep dreaming. I'm not that easy."

"Both of you, calm down. We got more important things to do." Komodo said, turning his attention to Coral. "Firstly, let's be clear about this, we don't trust you. The previous mutants that Arden created to bolster our forces with, turned out to be incompetent, and got themselves killed because of it, so we have yet to be impressed by any of them, you included. But we're gonna give you the benefit of the doubt."

"Fair enough." Coral responded, eyeing the others. "Though, from what master Arden said, the five of you weren't pulling your own weight."

"Bad luck, nothing else." Gila said, though he wasn't able to fully hide his discomfort regarding the subject.

"Our foes are cunning and, as Gila say, they have had luck on their side." Komodo continued. "Not to mention plenty of allies, giving them an advantage in numbers as well."

"Then tell me about them, and maybe we can tip the scales." Coral said with a smirk.

**A bit too short for my taste, but try as I might, I just couldn't find anything that wouldn't just be filler, even after four days of thinking, and this was a pretty good place to stop anyway. Anyway, sorry about that.**

**As it stands, Coral and the others are starting to get to know each other, but just like their alliance, it is tenuous at best.**

**More references to the Vampire Bats that Arden created in 'All Hallows Threat!', still by Bloodrayne666.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Going Out**

The next night, the Venomous Five and their new 'junior member' were scheduled to head out on their hunt for the turtles and friends, but not before Coral had been summoned by doctor Arden to his lab.

She was laying on a table while Arden did some tests on her, patiently waiting until he was done.

"There, all done." she heard him say. "You can get up now, everything looks fine."

"Is there something that I should be worried about, master?" she asked as she rose to her feet.

"Nothing of concern, just a routine check-up to be certain." Arden said, turning to Coral. "Though, I have noticed that you have cut your hair. Why is that?"

"Long hair like what I had is very cumbersome, and it could prove a disadvantage in battle. I decided that I didn't want that risk. Is that a problem, master?"

"No, not at all. You just remind me a little of someone that I briefly worked with years ago, but that's not important now. You've got a mission to go on."

"I'm ready to move out, master, I will not let you down." Coral stated as she walked to the exit of the lab.

"One thing before you go." Arden said before she could leave. "Be mindful of the Venomous Five; if my suspicions are correct, they might try and arrange an 'accident' on these missions. Probably not this one, or the next, but who knows."

"I will be on my guard, master, and if they truly are disloyal, I will get you the evidence, even if I will have to die for it."

With that, Coral left the lab to join the Venomous Five. But as the door closed behind her, Arden stood with a frown on his brow, as if pondering something.

* * *

"The rookie finally decided to grace us with her presence." Mamba half sneered, baring her fangs as Coral arrived. "Took you long enough."

"If you got a problem with it, you can take it up with master Arden." Coral responded coldly. "He needed to run some tests before I could leave, since I'm new and more improved compared to you."

Mamba hissed, but refrained from everything else that she wanted to do, partly because they were to wait before making any kind of move against the new serpent, but also because Coral was indeed the most dangerous of them.

"If you two are finished, we got a job to do." said Komodo, as he started to lead them outside. "We're gonna search through the northern parts of town for the freaks. They usually go on patrol around this time. And if we find them, we take them down hard and bring them here for our master."

"I really hope that we find them." Gila growled. "Haven't seen so much as a scale of them for over a week."

"After what master Shredder did to that lizard slut's brother, they must still be weeping their eyes out." Nile snickered.

"I bet they are." Cobra said with a wide smirk. "But when I get to spit my venom in their eyes, they'll really have something to cry about."

"Enough talk, let's go already. My fangs ache in anticipation." said Mamba.

As they made their way to the north parts of New York, moving through shadows, roof tops and dark alleyways, Coral was already trying to analyse her team mates based on their interactions with each other.

'Komodo is clearly the strongest and the smartest of them, which explains why he's the leader, but none of them seem to really get along. They bicker and snap at each other like they were children, with Komodo being the parent or oldest sibling, just barely keeping them in line. Despite this, however, they do seem to have a certain bond, probably more out of necessity than anything else, but still. But how long will their loyalty to each other stretch? I guess I'll have to find out eventually.'

* * *

Meanwhile, down in the lair of the turtles and their family, said inhabitants had only been home for a little more than a week after returning from Mutopia, a trip that had ended far worse than they could ever have imagined, and the wounds they had gotten would take quite some time to properly heal, especially the emotional ones.

Until the physical wounds had healed, those injured would have to take it easy for a while, even while training, but train they still did, trying to get back into a good routine of life again.

But that wasn't easy for everyone, not with all that had happened.

* * *

Michelangelo was heading to the exit that lead to the sewers, when he was stopped by Leonardo.

"Where are you going, Mikey?" the blue-masked turtle asked his youngest brother.

"The surface. Is that a problem, bro?" Michelangelo asked, not with any aggressive tones, just a simple question.

"That depends." Leonardo began, looking at Michelangelo's left arm, supported by a sling and bandaged where he had been shot. "How's your arm?"

"It's okay." Michelangelo said, his right hand travelling to his injury. "I mean, it still hurts all the time, especially if I move it, but it's getting better, little by little."

"And you're going to the surface with that arm then? I don't think that's a good idea, Mikey."

"Look, bro, I'm not gonna do any crazy stuff. No skating, parkour or the like. I just need to get some air, stargaze and gather my thoughts."

"That's not very you."

"I know, but after all that's happened, with Diablo and all, I actually got a lot on my mind for once. Especially if Big T and the others do have to evacuate."

"To Skyrim, you mean?" Leonardo asked and Michelangelo nodded. "I understand that, something like that is a huge thing, but they don't have any other choice if they're discovered. There's just too many of them to relocate anywhere else, and even if they did find a place, without their crystal powered greenhouse, I don't think they'd be able to survive very long."

"I know all that, and I understand that they do what they have to. I just don't want to loose our friends, but at the same time I don't want to go back to Skyrim, it don't feel safe to me." Michelangelo visibly shivered as he remembered all the near death experiences they had had while in Skyrim.

"Every place has its own dangers, New York's no different, but as long as we don't explore caves and ancient cities again, I think we would be able to live a good life in Skyrim, should it come to that."

"Maybe, but I still don't know about this."

"Whatever the case, Mikey, this is still just a precaution that we're offered. It may never happen for all we know, but I understand that it still is a lot to take in."

"So, can I go?"

"Just be careful, Mikey. Not just with staying out of sight, but with your arm too. Remember what Don said; don't put any unnecessary strain on it."

"Will do, Fearless." the young turtle said, giving his brother a quick salute with his right hand before leaving.

**So, both Michelangelo and the Venomous Five (Six?) are heading out, three guesses what's going to happen next.**

**And Arden seems to have something on his mind, wonder what...**

**Whatever the case; Arden and the V5, still property of Bloodrayne666, that's not gonna change. Previous events that are mentioned by Leo and Mikey are from the stories 'Falling Inside The Black' as well as 'United By Fate', again by Bloodrayne666, as well as my own story, 'Preparations'. Then we also got some from 'Oh Sister Where Art Thou?', also Bloodrayne666, mentioned by the V5.**

**And that's that.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**A Night Out**

Michelangelo walked through the sewers, not in any kind of hurry as he looked for a good place to head up to the surface. With one arm injured, it would prove a little more difficult than normally, and climbing the ladders that lead to the surface would be painful, hence why he tried to remember exactly where every manhole emerged, so that he wouldn't have to climb too much, there would be more than enough of that as it was.

Eventually, he found one that he seemed to remember emerged in a dark alley, one that always seemed to be completely empty of humans, even thugs and criminals. The 'Dulley' Michelangelo called it, from combining the words 'dull' and 'alley', and unlike other times that he had named things that way, Raphael had wholeheartedly agreed with him and started calling it that too. If there was any place where he could go up undetected, that was the place.

Still, climbing up the ladder wasn't easy, his left arm complaining almost violently whenever he held on to the rungs with it, even though it was still in the sling, so Michelangelo had to focus on mostly using his right arm instead, only using the left for brief seconds while moving his right. All in all though, it went pretty well, if a bit slowly, until he reached the top.

It was painfully obvious to him that he just didn't have enough strength in his left arm to even lift the lid, nor could he hold on with it long enough to do it with his right arm, which left him with only one option. Holding on with his right hand, he used his head to push up the lid and peek around, before tipping it to the side as quietly as he could and climbing up.

"Heh, and Raph says that I never use my head." he chuckled under his breath.

After putting the manhole cover back in place, the orange-masked turtle made his way up to the top of the buildings via a fire escape, which was considerably easier than climbing the ladder from the sewers. It still took him a little while, but he managed in the end, earning him a calm spot at the top.

Breathing in the cool night air, he looked up at the sky, there were some clouds, but for the most part it was clear with a small breeze.

"Ahh… Just what the doc ordered." he said, taking a deep breath and sitting down, just looking at the stars, letting his mind wander a bit before he began to think about everything that had happened the last weeks, and that was a lot.

* * *

Nearby, three other reptiles were moving around in the shadows, keeping their eyes open for their prey. It was Mamba, Cobra, and the newest member, Coral.

Komodo had decided that the Venomous Five would split up for their hunt, with him, Nile and Gila going one way, while the others went in the opposite direction, bringing the rookie with them, something that neither Mamba, nor Cobra was happy about.

"I can't believe that Komodo made us babysit this newborn!" Cobra whispered to Mamba as they stopped to rest.

"Like it wasn't bad enough to be stuck with you." Mamba retorted, to which Cobra hissed, yet both of them kept glaring at Coral as she stood by the edge of the roof, looking out across the city.

"What do you say, Mamba, should we push her over the edge?"

"Tempting, but it's too soon, and too obvious. We need another way of disposing of the bitch. Something that the masters can't trace back to us."

"So no venom, pity. I so want to drip mine all over her little, precious face. Teach her her place." Cobra said, salivating slightly at the thought.

"I wouldn't mind watching that." Mamba said with a smirk. "If she wasn't so damned dangerous to us, I would have loved to break her in, really make her squirm until she learns her place; under our heels."

The two snakes couldn't help but cackle, and though they tried to stifle it, Coral still heard it.

"What's so funny?" she asked, walking closer.

"Inside joke. You wouldn't understand." Mamba replied.

Coral was about to say something in return, but stopped shortly after she opened her mouth, only to close it and look around, her forked tongue flicking out several times.

"Do you taste that?" she asked the others. "There's something on the winds."

For a moment, Mamba and Cobra looked at Coral sceptically, but they still took a few quick flicks with their own tongues, picking up a familiar scent.

"Well, I'll be remade as a newt! Seems we **have** found something after all!" said Mamba, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

"What is it? It doesn't feel human." Coral asked.

"Oh, you'll see shortly, rookie." said Cobra, licking her lips. "But now, we hunt!"

* * *

Sitting with his back against a wall, Michelangelo stared up into the sky, his eyes tracing some of the constellations that he knew, specifically those that he had taught Kate or she him. During the time he had sat there, thinking about what they should do, his mind had often returned to his dear viper girlfriend.

He wasn't sure what would happen if the Mutopians had to leave for another world, but he sure as hell didn't want to loose Kate, and yet, after everything that they had been through in Skyrim, all the dangers they had face there, he really didn't want to return to that world either. But if Kate was going, then he would follow her, or at least he would want to, but he couldn't leave his family behind if they decided to stay on Earth instead.

Poor Michelangelo was torn, he didn't want to have to choose between the people he loved, and prayed that he never would have to make such a choice. Thinking about it brought to mind master Splinter's wise words years earlier, when he thought he had found love in the human Shari, who was actually Izo Ren, Arashi's niece and as much an enemy as her uncle.

'Sometimes, you are forced to hurt those you care most about, in order to protect them. The right choice is seldom an easy one, my son.'

The words rang true, now more than before, but Michelangelo couldn't tell which choice that would be the right one, they all seemed equally impossible to make.

"Man… when did life get so complicated?"

"Is there anything I can help with?" a sinister, female voice said all of a sudden, making the turtle gasp in shock.

Instantly, he leapt to his feet, scanning his surroundings while his right hand went for his nunchaku, only for him to realise that he hadn't brought any weapons.

"Ah shell…"

His eyes continued to scan the shadows around him as he prepared to fight with only one hand, just like he and Raphael had been training to after being injured.

"What's the matter? Can't you see me? Then let me help you." the voice said, snickering as its owner stepped out of the darkest of shadows, revealing herself to be Mamba.

"Double shell…"

Michelangelo began backing away from the approaching snake mutant, but stopped when he heard a second voice behind him.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Looking over his shoulder, he saw none other than Cobra walking towards him.

"Triple shell…"

"Would you look at that, Mamba. Seems little Mikey's been injured." Cobra said with a smirk, looking at the arm in the sling.

"I can see that, and on top of that he's all alone too." Mamba responded, her smirk growing wider as she saw Michelangelo beginning to sweat a little. "But don't worry, little turtle, we'll keep you company, as will our new friend. Why don't we introduce the two of you?"

As if on cue, Coral jumped down from a higher point on the roof, landing in front of Michelangelo, who was now surrounded. Seeing the new mutant, Michelangelo's eyes went wide in shock, while Coral's glare seemed to harden even more as their eyes met.

"Um… what comes after triple? Oh yeah, quadruple shell..."

**Well, that escalated quickly for our turtle. With his injury, things will not be easy, and could hardly get much worse for him. Wonder how he will gett out of this mess?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Cornered**

Michelangelo looked to his left and saw Mamba. Turning to his right, he saw Cobra. And right in front of him stood a brand new mutant that he didn't recognise. All he knew, all he needed to know right then, was that he was unarmed, injured, alone and outnumbered, in other words: in big trouble.

"Okay, I'll bite; where did you find this one?" he asked, pointing at Coral.

"Coral? Oh, she's just a little something that the good doctor Arden whipped up." said Mamba.

"Yeah, he thought we could use some more company, a little more bite." said Cobra. "See it as a reward for allowing master Shredder to offing the brother of that lizard slut of yours."

"You freaks have no idea how much you messed everything up." he said through gritted teeth, his eyes narrowed in anger, not only because of the deed, but also because of the events that followed it, with Callum becoming Diablo and threatening them all.

"Anything that puts the pain on you, your brothers and your sister, not to mention that vermin of a master you've got." said Mamba, now standing dangerously close to Michelangelo's side.

"Speaking of pain…" Cobra said, grabbing onto Michelangelo injured arm, making him wince from the strong grip. "You've gotten some of your own I see. I wonder how that happened." A smirk grew on her lips as she bared her fangs, small droplets of venom falling from them.

"Wouldn't you want to know!" Michelangelo snapped.

"Don't think you can keep any secrets from us, boy!" said Mamba. "You're in no shape to fight, and we got ways to loosen your tongue."

"And I soo love those ways, especially when I get to drip my venom all over your face!" said Cobra, almost shaking with excitement.

"Both of you talk too much." Coral cut in. "You're being very ineffective. Just be done with him, and take him back to base."

"Shut up, you newbie!" Cobra snapped back, hissing loudly in protest. "We're allowed to have some fun!"

"Well, if you girls want to have some fun, I won't bother you, so I'll just leave you alone, okay?" Michelangelo said, not really thinking that they would allow him to leave, but it was worth a shot.

"Not so fast, we're not done with you yet." said Mamba, taking hold of Michelangelo's right arm.

"You're still wasting time." said Coral. "Every second you give him is another opportunity for him to escape."

"Escape? Him? He's a goofy fool, all surrounded and alone. He doesn't even have his viper slut of a girlfriend with him. How could he possibly escape?" Mamba asked Coral, the two exchanging glares.

"How about if I got some help from a certain friend of mine?" Michelangelo asked in a confident voice, looking up into the sky with a smirk. "A certain Dragon friend."

Mamba and Cobra quickly followed his line of sight into the sky, as did Coral when her comrades did, though she wasn't sure what the turtle meant. However all they saw were stars and clouds, but that short distraction was all Michelangelo needed.

He quickly broke free from the snakes' grip, despite the pain it caused to his left arm, then jumped and performed a split kick, striking Mamba and Cobra in their faces just as they looked back at him, seeing only the soles of his feet as they collided, and being felled to the floor the very next second.

"See ya!" Michelangelo yelled as he ran as quick as he could, jumping to the next building before the others could follow him. Before Mamba and Cobra could get back on their feet and shake away the stars, Coral was already hot on Michelangelo's trail.

"Damn, this chick was fast!" he said as he kept running and jumping, hoping to find a place where he could safely get back into the sewers, constantly throwing glances over his shoulders to keep track of Coral, and to his dismay, she seemed to slowly be gaining on him.

Needing to think quickly, he got an idea on how to deal with her. A stupid idea by all definitions that he could think of, but it might just work.

Making another jump across buildings, he kept her in his line of sight over the shoulder, and as soon as he landed on the rooftop, and she jumped after him, Michelangelo launched himself backwards towards her. Despite how quick reflexes Coral actually had, she wasn't prepared for the unpredictable nature of Michelangelo, or his strategy, and didn't have the ability to avoid him mid-jump. The results being the two of them colliding in the air above the alleyway, Michelangelo's shell hitting Coral's upper torso and face, and with the momentum of the two mutants cancelling each other out, they both fell to the ground below them.

Luckily for both of them, there were several clotheslines beneath them, which broke their fall somewhat, but couldn't support their sudden weight and quickly snapped. Coral hit the ground first, and still fairly hard, as she remained mostly still, but groaned loudly in pain and disorientation.

Michelangelo, on the other hand, had managed to grab on to one of the clotheslines just as it snapped, and swung into the wall instead, before dropping to the ground. He was slightly winded and a bit sore, but mostly in one piece, though his left arm hurt even more than before, and a small red stain had started to form.

"Shell… next time I need to do that, I want a stunt double…" he groaned as he got back on his feet. Quickly glancing over to Coral, and seeing that she was still moving, he decided that he wasn't going to wait for her to get ready for round two.

Hurrying off in the opposite direction, he found a manhole that he descended down through, making sure that no one was following him as he made his way back to the lair as fast as he could.

But one image would haunt him for some time. While he was pulling the lid back in place, he caught sight of Coral eyeing him from her sprawled out position, and it was a look more intimidating than one that could kill.

* * *

A little while later, a still sore Coral had climbed up onto the rooftops again, only for Mamba and Cobra to arrive shortly after.

"Where's the turtle?!" Mamba demanded.

"What does it look like? He got away." Coral responded, rubbing her left shoulder.

"Some help you turned out to be!" Cobra complained, sticking her forked tongue out at Coral.

"I at least did better than the two of you!" Coral snapped back. "I told you to stop fooling around, but you didn't listen, and then he escaped! He might have gotten away from me, but it's your fault that he got loose to begin with!"

The serpents were hissing violently at each other and were about to come to blows, but the timely arrival of the rest of their team interrupted them.

"What's going on?!" Komodo half roared as he, Nile and Gila arrived on the rooftop, the large lizard's eyes sweeping over the snakes and making them stand down, if only a little.

"It's all Coral's fault!" Cobra said, pointing at the colourful serpent.

"No it ain't!" Coral objected.

"What's whose fault?" Nile asked, mostly since he didn't follow what the snakes were going on about.

"We had just managed to capture one of the turtles. Michelangelo, if you're curious." Mamba explained. "But Coral let him get away!"

"I didn't let him get away! He sucker-punched me as I was chasing him after he escaped from you two!"

"And you couldn't catch him! He had one arm in a sling!" Cobra objected. Hearing that, however, Gila burst out in a fit of laughter.

"Are you serious saying that the three of you, let Michelangelo of all turtles escape, even though he was handicapped?!" Gila laughed. "Man, aren't you a set of total losers!"

Nile joined his fellow lizard's laughter, and the snakes all began hissing at them, but Komodo wouldn't let them do anything more.

"Shut up! All of you!" he snarled. "Tonight haven't yielded any results so far, so we might as well head back to base. As for tonight… we will not report anything, as nothing happened. Understood?"

The rest of the Venomous Five all nodded, while Coral frowned at Komodo, yet looked away when he met her gaze.

"Fine." she said.

Giving Coral one final look, Komodo then began leading the others back to the Foot HQ, during which time Coral kept analysing her 'team'.

'They don't take things seriously enough! We had that turtle! If only Mamba and Coral had incapacitated or killed him when they had the chance, he wouldn't have gotten away! And Komodo refuses to report this, that's disloyalty towards our master! If we fail, we must be punished for it! But I will not report this either, not now at least. As master Arden ordered me, I will maintain my cover and collect all the evidence needed to determine the loyalty of these five.'

Thinking back on what had happened, on how Michelangelo had escaped, she felt a hatred grow inside of her, focused on said turtle.

'The next time I see that turtle, I'll make sure that we won't be able to get away! And his girlfriend too if she shows up!'

**Close call for Mikey, but luckily he can be pretty quick when it calls for it, even when it involves thinking.**

**The mood among the V5(6? 5.5?) isnt getting any better, and Coral has just gotten some evidence for later. Not to mention a serious dislike for poor Mikey. Can't wait to see how this plays out.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Home Free**

Michelangelo practically burst through the entrance to the lair, not calming down until he was certain that it was closed, at which point he leaned his back against the wall and slid down to the floor, finally taking deep breathes to relax a bit.

"Mikey?" he heard someone ask. "Mikey, are you alright?"

Looking up, he saw Monalisa standing in front of him, her face still having the saddened look that hadn't left her since the Diablo incident, but there were clear signs of concern as well.

"Hey… sis…" Michelangelo said between breathes, trying to force a smile.

"What happened? Why are you…?" Monalisa began, but stopped when she noticed the bloodstain on Michelangelo's bandages. "You're bleeding?! What happened, Mikey?! Tell me!"

"Just help me to our dear Doc-brother… and I'll tell you all… and maybe fetch me some water or soda too… I could really use something to drink…"

* * *

"Ahh… that hit the spot." Michelangelo said with a sigh of relief as he had taken a mouthful of water. He was now sitting in the medical room while Donatello checked his wound. The other adults were also present, while Pandora and Kemeko were busy playing together in another part of the lair.

"The stitches have broken, and your wounds reopened, but not much, just enough to bleed." Donatello said after examining Michelangelo's arm. "Won't be hard to stitch up again, but I thought I told you to be careful with your arm."

"As did I." said Leonardo. "You promised me to be careful before you left, that's the only reason why I agreed to let you go to the surface."

"And I was careful! You wouldn't believe how difficult it was to get topside using only one arm. But it wasn't my fault, I didn't really have much choice."

"What do you mean, my son?" Splinter asked.

"I ran into a couple of old foes of ours; the snakes of the Foot."

"Mamba and Cobra?!" Monalisa exclaimed, and the other adults shared concerned looks.

"Bingo! The two snakes caught me by surprise and cornered me."

"And that's how you tore your stitches?" Donatello asked.

"More or less, bro, I think." Michelangelo answered with a nod. "They didn't really hurt me, but they did hold me in a strong grip, but I managed to outsmart them and break free."

"Good thing that they're even dumber than you are." said Raphael.

"You got that right, Raph." Michelangelo replied with a smile, but that smile quickly faded and was replaced with a face of worry. "But that's not all that happened. Those two weren't alone."

"What do you mean?" Monalisa asked.

"Were there ninja as well? Or more of the Venomous Five?" Leonardo followed up.

"Almost the last one. There was another mutant, a new snake chick that I've never seen before."

"A new mutant?! Arden must be behind that one!" said Raphael, clenching his fists.

"That's what Mamba and Cobra said, that he had made a new member for them. But this snake, she was different from the other two. I think she's much smarter than the others, for she kept telling them to stop fooling around when they had cornered me, and if they had, I don't think I would have been able to make a run for it like I did."

"That is most troubling." said Splinter as he held his chin in thought.

"Indeed, master Splinter." said Donatello. "The Venomous Five are very dangerous with their innate venom and superior strength compared to us, but one of their biggest weaknesses has always been their lower intelligence. But if this new mutant is more intelligent, then we could be in a lot of trouble, especially if she ends up calling the shots. However, regardless of that, we still need to know what kind of snake this new mutant is, so that we can prepare ourselves."

"Knowing Arden, she's without a doubt venomous, just like the rest." said Monalisa.

"Well, sorry to disappoint you guys, but I have no idea what kind of snake she was." Michelangelo said apologetic. "But I do remember how she looked."

"That could be enough to identify her species." said Leonardo. "Tell us everything that you can remember, Mikey."

"Okay, well…" he thought for a moment. "She was a real redhead, in scales I mean, not hair, that was black, but yeah, her head was really red, as were her tail, stomach and hands. Her back was black I think, and her sides, arms and legs were a very, very blue blue. I think they called her Coral, or something."

Hearing that description and name, Donatello went pale and stopped what he was doing, just staring at his youngest brother with a fearful look.

"Don?"

"My son? Is something wrong?"

"Very wrong…" Donatello said. "If Mikey's description is accurate, then this new mutant is in all likeliness a blue coral snake."

"I take it that's bad?" Michelangelo said, scratching his head a bit.

"It's incredibly bad. The blue coral snake is one of the deadliest snakes in the world." Donatello explained, and just that part causing Michelangelo to begin sweating a little. "They are snake eaters, meaning that they hunt and eat other snakes, including the king cobra, which is a snake eater as well. Their venom acts super fast, effectively paralysing every muscle, including the heart, in almost no time at all. If you're bitten, you'll be dead within a minute, two if you're lucky."

The others paled as well, with the exception of Michelangelo, who had seemingly fainted after learning how close to death he had actually been.

"Well, he's out for the count." Raphael groaned before walking over to his brother and shaking him awake again. "Hey! Wake up, Mikey. Lesson's not over yet."

"What can we do against such a deadly foe, Donny?" Leonardo asked, after he was sure that Michelangelo was fully awake again.

"Aside from avoiding to get bitten, not much I'm afraid. With such a fast acting venom, and how it works, if one is alone there is no hope for survival, even if we were to get our hands on some form of anti-venom, if there even is one, I'm actually not sure of that."

"Then I say we kill her on sight, if we can." said Raphael. "I won't let something like her get anywhere near Pandora."

"The same applies to Kemeko." said Leonardo. "And if she's smarter than the others, that just means that she's a far greater threat than any of Arden's other creations that we've faced so far. I may not like saying this, but I agree wholeheartedly with Raph's suggestion of killing her when the chance presents herself."

"Some foes are far too dangerous to be allowed to live, that is true." said Splinter. "But make sure that you do not loose yourselves in that task, my children. Once fallen, it is difficult to regain ones true path again."

"I'm more worried that Arden is making more mutants again." said Monalisa. "It's been a while since he's made any, at least that we know of."

"True." said Leonardo, holding his chin in thought. "I worry that the Foot might be so tired of not defeating us, that they've decided to try and overwhelm us with sheer numbers of mutants, rather than ninja."

"If that's the case, then there's no way we can deal with them all." said Raphael. "Even if they're stupid, if there are twenty of them for everyone of us in a fight, we're gonna lose, no question about it."

"Ugh… maybe going to Skyrim ain't such a bad idea after all." Michelangelo said with a sigh.

"You might be right, Mikey." said Leonardo. "But before we go that far, we need to know more about what the Foot is up to, and even if they are making an army of mutants, I don't think we should resort to anything more drastic than simply evacuating to Mutopia."

"I agree with Leo." said Donatello. "The Foot doesn't have a base in Chicago, so they'll have a hard time following us in any larger numbers, at least at first. But as long as we're in Chicago, we have Tyroth and the rest of the Knights to help us deal with them."

"Even so, Tyroth might be strong, there's no doubt about that…" said Raphael. "… but even he might be overwhelmed by an army of mutants. The Foot have overpowered him before, though to be fair, it did cost them, and I'm sure that it would cost them even more if they try it again."

"True that." Leonardo said with a nod. "But if we ever find us in a position that we need to move to Mutopia, we're basically signing up for joining them if they have to evacuate. And frankly, I would be fine with that. I know that we could probably find a new place for us to live, but if they've taken us in to help us, I just can't abandon them, especially not like that."

"We know how you're feeling, Leo. We all do." said Monalisa, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Ever since we met them, they've been there for us. Not just Tyroth, Sephie and the rest of the Knights, but everyone of Mutopia. Always willing to lend a hand or simply listen. They are more that just our friends, they are family."

"Well said, my daughter." Splinter said with a smile, and for a moment, he saw how the sadness that haunted Monalisa had faded.

"It's still too early to say how things will turn out." Leonardo continued. "But we will have to make a decision regardless, not to mention discuss this with Kemeko and Pandora, so we all know what to do in the worst case scenario, and let Tyroth and the others know that as well. But for now, we will wait and keep our eyes open. We will talk more about this later."

As the others nodded in agreement, Michelangelo thought back on the last he saw of Coral, and that look she gave him as he escaped. He couldn't help but shudder at the memory of the glare that chilled him to the core, and hoped that he didn't have to run into her again.

**Mikey has managed to get back home safely, but not without injuries, as we saw last time. At least the others now know about Coral, and they have every right to be worried about her.**

**As for what the future holds for them, and Coral as well, that remains to be seen.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**First Report**

Back in the Foot HQ, the Venomous Five and their new member had retreated to their den, and the females were still licking their wounds after having lost to an injured Michelangelo.

Before that, Komodo had just left their report regarding their patrol to Arden, and just as he had told the others, there was nothing to report, hence why the smaller injuries the females had received would have to heal on their own, so as not to draw any attention to their failure. But the snakes were still not happy about it, and Coral was practically seething, especially at the memory of Michelangelo.

"When I get my hands on that turtle, I'll tear off his legs!" she snarled as she massaged her sore muscles. "And that goes for his viper slut, Kate, too!"

The rest of the Venomous Five sat further away, keeping an eye on Coral and listening to her as well.

"Gotta say, she's really starting to sound like one of us." Gila said with a small grin. "Maybe there's hope for her after all."

"Don't get too comfortable with that thought, Gila. There is something about her that doesn't feel right." said Komodo in a low voice. "In fact there is one thing that I don't understand right now. Have anyone of you mentioned the viper's name to her?"

"Nope."

"No."

"Not me."

"Maybe Arden mentioned it?" Nile suggested. "We did report it to him that Christmas, after he was done punishing us."

"Ugh, don't remind me of that night." Cobra complained. "My tongue still feels sore whenever I think of it, even if it's healed."

"But why would master Arden tell her about the viper and not the other mutants?" Komodo mused, holding his chin. "She did ask us about the freaks and their allies, but we never said any names other than for the turtles."

"Maybe she's comparing notes." Mamba suggested.

As the Venomous Five were talking, Coral wasn't able to calm down, quite the opposite, she was so angry that she felt like she was going to explode. She kept walking around on the spot, trying and failing to focus on other things, and as she looked up, she saw her reflection in a nearby mirror, and her glare hardened even more.

All of a sudden, she lashed out, shattering the mirror with a punch, which caught the attention of the other mutants.

"FUCK THAT TURTLE!" she yelled, pulling back her fist, and as she did, blood dripped from it, shards of glass having pierced her flesh.

"I'd better get this fixed." she growled as she picked up the first piece of clothe she could find and wrapped it around her hand. "I'm heading to master Arden's lab for medical attention."

The door had barely had time to close before Mamba sighed in relief.

"Good riddance…"

"Let's hope Arden decides to put her down instead of healing her." Cobra scoffed.

"Don't count on it, Cobra." said Komodo. "I'm sure that Arden will want to keep her around for as long as possible, seeing as she's supposed to be a new kind of mutant."

"Well, I have yet to be impressed." said Mamba, crossing her arms. "She couldn't even catch a handicapped turtle. Wonder how he got hurt in the first place?"

"Yeah, it must have been something big since he had one arm in a sling." Cobra agreed. "Makes me wonder if the other freaks have been hurt too."

"If we're lucky, maybe we will find out next time we hunt." Nile said with a wide smirk, one that the others shared, aside for Komodo. He was too occupied with trying to figure out Coral, since there was something that didn't seem right about her.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Arden's lab, the doctor was analysing Coral's injury with a raised eyebrow.

"No mention of injuries were included in Komodo's report, nor did I see this last I saw you. What happened?" he asked.

"It's self-inflicted." Coral responded coldly.

"And why would you do something like that?" Arden inquired, curious about her reasons.

"I needed a reason to go see you, master, so that I could report the truth about tonight. And… I was very frustrated because of it all. Had I not been, I would have waited until I had more to report before telling you."

"I see, so something did happen tonight, despite that Komodo claimed otherwise. Tell me everything."

"We split up from the start. Komodo, Gila and Nile heading one way while I followed Mamba and Cobra. After a while, we caught scent of one of the turtles, the one called Michelangelo, and we managed to corner him."

"So you found your prey, huh? Then what happened?"

"He was alone, and had one arm in a sling, must have been injured at some point, but while Mamba and Cobra held him in a strong grip, they did nothing to incapacitate him, they simply gloated over having captured him.

I told them to stop fooling around, but they wouldn't listen, and then the turtle managed to trick us so he could knock them down and escape. I pursued him, but we crashed into each other mid-jump between buildings, and I took the worst of it when we hit the ground, so he could escape into the sewers before I could do anything.

When I had recovered, and the others arrived, Cobra and Mamba blamed me for the turtle's escape, right before Komodo told us that nothing had happened during our patrol."

Arden stood silent as he processed what he had been told, a deep frown on his face and his hand on his chin.

"This is clearly disloyalty, master. They must be punished." Coral said, breaking Arden out of his thoughts. "While I can understand that they don't want to be punished for their failures, that is never an excuse."

"Indeed it isn't. But it is not yet the time to administer punishment. This was just the first of many missions that you will accompany them on, and while they have betrayed me, it is so far only a minor thing. Granted, it could be the tip of something much larger, but it is too early to say now. Whatever the case, be assured that they will receive the punishment they deserve, all in due time."

"Very well, master. I will continue my mission until then."

"Excellent. You make me so proud, Coral." Arden said with a grisly grin on his scared face. "Now let us take care of your injury. Nurse!"

"Hai doctor!" a female voice replied from the other side of the lab, and shortly thereafter, the medical ninja with long, black hair hurried over to him and Coral. "What do you ask of me?"

"Clean her wounds of all the glass while I prepare some healing serum."

"As you command, sir."

The medical ninja started working at once, carefully removing every piece of glass in Coral's would before cleaning it with some alcohol, which caused the snake to wince, which worried the ninja a bit, fearing that the mutant might lash out at her.

Arden was back before the ninja was even halfway done with her work, holding a syringe with his healing serum in his hand while he waited for her to finish. Once she was done, Arden injected the serum into Coral's arm and the wounds began healing at an astonishing rate, leaving no marks behind. Most of the soreness in Coral's body vanished as well, as the blunt injuries from the fall earlier were healed as well.

"There, good as new." Arden said with a smirk, while Coral flexed her newly healed hand. "Now, Coral, return to the others. There will be more to do for you and the rest of the Venomous Five."

"As you command, master." Coral said and walked towards the exit. Halfway there, however, she stopped and turned around. "Can I make a request, master?"

"A request? What kind of request?" Arden asked with a raised eyebrow.

"When we finally capture the turtles and their friends, I would like to be allowed to personally execute Michelangelo and his girlfriend, Kate, when the time comes."

"I'm afraid that I can't grant you such a request. The turtles have been a thorn in our master Shredder's side for far too long. The honour of killing them is rightfully his. However, you could ask him at that time, and maybe he will grant your wish, especially if you serve him well. As for the viper, I don't believe that should be a problem, once we're don interrogating her, she's all yours."

A sinister and sadistic smile grew on Coral's face at the thought.

"Thank you, master." she said with a bow, then turned to leave the lab.

"She seems to be doing well, sir." the medical ninja said as she was cleaning up.

"Indeed." Arden responded. "And you did well acquiring the DNA necessary for her augmentation. Your actions are very appreciated, and will not be forgotten."

"I am simply doing my part for our master, as are we all."

"Yes… as are we all, indeed..." Arden said, his thoughts trailing off to something else.

**Not really sure what to put here right now, I'll just leave it up to you, dear readers, to fill in your own thoughts.**

**So, see you next time.**


End file.
